Drought, in CM relief fund too

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Mumbai: Maharashtra may be reeling under one of the most severe droughts in its history, but the chief minister's drought relief fund has been able to generate just about Rs10 lakh.Home minister RR Patil had set the ball rolling on people's representatives pitching in to fill the coffers by announcing about two weeks ago that he would donate a money's salary to the chief minister's fund. Textiles and minorities affairs minister Mohammed Arif Khan took the hint and followed suit. Both of them donated Rs57,000, their monthly salary.Later at a cabinet meeting held on February 20, it was decided that all ministers would chip in with a month's pay.Sources, however, claim that the fund got only RsRead full story

10,21,300 till last week.Besides Mumbai MP Eknath Gaikwad and Nagpur MP Datta Meghe, who donated Rs1 lakh each, as well as MLA Prashant Thakur from Panvel and MLA Madhu Chavan from Byculla, who donated Rs75,000 each, others have been rather tightfisted.Some other large-hearted representatives include tribal development minister Babanrao Pachpute, who donated Rs57,000, minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir, who gave Rs51,000, and minister of state for transport Gulabrao Deokar, who contributed Rs56,000. The largest single donation — Rs1.05 lakh — was made by Bhimrao Dhonde, a former MLA from Beed district, which has several drought-prone areas, much before Patil's announcement.It's not just people's representatives who have taken it upon themselves to chip in. Teachers and gazetted officers have promised to donate a day's and two days' salaries, respectively.The Siddhivinayak temple trust has reportedly given its word to contribute Rs25 crore.

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